Eden Health

Building Up One Another

     We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Rom. 15:1.  

     God does not want us to place ourselves upon the judgment seat and judge each other. . . . When we see errors in others, let us remember that we have faults graver, perhaps, in the sight of God than the fault we condemn in our brother. Instead of publishing his defects, ask God to bless him and to help him to overcome his error. Christ will approve of this spirit and action, and will open the way for you to speak a word of wisdom that will impart strength and help to him who is weak in the faith.  

     The work of building one another up in the most holy faith is a blessed work, but the work of tearing down is a work full of bitterness and sorrow. Christ identifies Himself with His suffering children, for He says, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt. 25:40). . . . Every heart has its own sorrows and disappointments, and we should seek to lighten one another’s burdens by manifesting the love of Jesus to those around us. If our conversation were upon heaven and heavenly things, evil speaking would soon cease to have any attraction for us. . . .  

     Instead of finding fault with others, let us be critical with ourselves. The question with each one of us should be, Is my heart right before God? Will this course of action glorify my Father which is in heaven? If you have cherished a wrong spirit, let it be banished from the soul. It is your duty to eradicate from your heart everything that is of a defiling nature. Every root of bitterness should be plucked up, lest others be contaminated by its baleful influence. Do not allow one poisonous plant to remain in the soil of your heart. Root it out this very hour, and plant in its stead the plant of love. Let Jesus be enshrined in the soul. Christ is our example. He went about doing good. He lived to bless others. Love beautified and ennobled all His actions, and we are commanded to follow in His steps.  

From That I May Know Him - Page 187

The Greatest Service

     Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Eph. 4:32.  

     The greatest service we can render to the cause of God, and which will reflect steady beams of light upon the pathway of others, is to be patient, kind, steadfast as a rock to principle, God-fearing. This will constitute us the salt of the earth, the light of the world. We shall be often disappointed, for we shall not find perfection in those who are connected with us, and they will not see perfection in us. It is only by agonizing effort on our part that we shall become unselfish, humble, childlike, teachable, meek and lowly of heart, like our divine Lord. We must bring our hearts and minds up to a high point of education in spiritual and heavenly things.  

     This world is not heaven, but it is the workshop of God for the fitting up of His people for a pure and holy paradise. And while each one of us is to feel that he is a part of the great web of humanity, he must not expect that others in that web will be without a flaw any more than himself. Mistakes will be made, and if the erring are willing to be corrected, a valuable experience is gained, so that their defeat is turned to victory. You should consider that many of your own errors are not brought to light, and be careful not to make the mistakes and imperfection of others appear in their worst light, either to yourself or to others. No man is perfect, and unjust criticism indulged towards others is not wise or Christlike. . . .  

     We have a serious, solemn work to do for ourselves to cleanse our own souls from spot and stain if we will stand before the Son of man when He shall appear, acquitted of Him. We must be educators as well as reformers. To cut loose from every one who errs and does not follow our own ideas is not doing as Christ is doing for us. We are all fallible, and we need pity, forbearance, kindly consideration, and sympathetic love for those with whom we are connected. We are all unworthy of the love and confidence of God.  

From That I May Know Him - Page 186

                      It was one night in May when my older son had just turned 18. I wanted to pray but did not know what to pray for or what to say. So that night I was struggling about whether to pray or not before I went to sleep. It was actually already past midnight and if I would state it correctly, it was already morning-around 2 A.M. But then I remembered a verse in the Word of God that says that if we do not know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit would help and teach us what to pray for.  So I finally knelt down to pray and asked the Holy Spirit to teach me what to pray for. As soon as I said those words, an impression came to me. I was impressed to say: Lead me and my children not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  As soon as I finished the words, another impression came to me. I was impressed  to say especially for my older son, Mike. Then I thanked the Lord and went to sleep.

                The next day, I went to work and was busy and I forgot about the events of the previous night.  Months later, I was talking with my husband and he was telling me that some of the close friends of my son, Mike were in trouble. They were being accused of rape by one girl.  I asked for details and he told me that my older son went out of the school campus together with his close friends who happened to be his classmates, too. They turned 18 years old that year and so they were required to register so they would be able to vote in the elections that was  held that year.  My husband gave my son a gate pass which allowed him to go out of the campus but the pass also stated that by 5 P.M. he should be inside the campus.  So my son and his friends went to register and after that did some activities together. They also planned to spend some hours of the night having a party of some sort.

                They rode in the car of one of his classmates and they were headed somewhere. The car happened to pass by the gate of the school campus and my son just asked his friend to stop the car and he went down and went inside the campus.  He did not go straight home but went to the house of one his friends who had a computer and they did some homework together.  He went home late that night but the whole time he was inside the campus. At around 11:00 P.M. that night, one of his close friend’s parents went to our residence and asked my husband if my son was home. My husband told them that he was not home yet.  The couple went back home thinking that my son and their son were together inside the campus. My son finally went home before the clock struck 12 midnight.  At 2 in the morning, the parents of my son’s friend went to find my husband again and informed him that their son was not home yet.  My husband informed them that mike, our son, was home but their son was not with him.  So they woke my son up and asked him where his friend was.  He said he did not know because he went inside the campus early and their son stayed with their other friends outside the campus and had a party.  At 3 in the morning that same day, police men came to the residence of my son’s friend and informed his parents that their son was being held at the police station because of a rape complaint of a girl that they were with that night. My husband and son were so thankful that my son did not join his friends that held a party and got drunk and were accused of rape.  I was very thankful, too, when I heard about it.

                Two weeks after I talked to my husband  about the party-rape incident, he informed me that my son’s friend paid 230,000 pesos to get out of jail temporarily.  Since they were well-off it was not hard for them to raise the amount.  When I heard this, I was thankful more than ever that my son was not included in the group that was accused of rape and the reason was that we would never have raised that amount to get him out of jail.  I asked my husband when the incident happened and so he told me.  After talking to him on the phone, I thought about the incident and I suddenly realized that the time I was praying for my son on that May morning (when I did not know what to pray for and the Holy Spirit impressed me to pray…Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, especially my older son) that was the time when my son got down from the car and went inside the campus, thus preventing him from joining the group that was accused of rape.  As soon as I realized this, I went on my knees and with tears rolling down my cheeks I thanked the Lord for His goodness and mercy for our family.  In the hour I did not know what to pray for, He impressed me to pray for my son, because He knew what situation my son was in but I did not know. He knew that my son needed a mother’s prayer to save him from evil.  The Lord is so good and kind and He had always showed His mercy in all my experiences with Him.

                I was chatting with my son, mike, just the other day and I was telling him about this particular answered prayer of mine.  When I started telling him about it, he actually told me that he has forgotten about the incident because that happened about ten years ago. When I finished telling him about it, he told me something that only confirmed how powerful a prayer could be. He said that at that time he really decided to join his friends for the party. What he did not understand was why he asked his friend to stop the car when they were at the gate of the school campus, went down the car and then went inside the school campus.     But after hearing about how I prayed for him, he said, he now understands why he went down that car that day although it was later than the time he was supposed to go inside the campus. He was so thankful that I prayed for him that day and asked me to keep praying for him.  He also understands more than ever, the power of prayer. The book, “Thoughts From The Mount of Blessings”, says these (and I quote):

              The prayer, “Bring us not into temptation,” is itself a promise. If we commit ourselves to God we have the assurance, He “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13. . . . 

           Christ will never abandon the soul for whom He has died. The soul may leave Him and be overwhelmed with temptation, but Christ can never turn from one for whom He has paid the ransom of His own life. Could our spiritual vision be quickened, we should see souls bowed under oppression and burdened with grief, pressed as a cart beneath sheaves and ready to die in discouragement. We should see angels flying swiftly to aid these tempted ones, who are standing as on the brink of a precipice. The angels from heaven force back the hosts of evil that encompass these souls, and guide them to plant their feet on the sure foundation. The battles waging between the two armies are as real as those fought by the armies of this world, and on the issue of the spiritual conflict eternal destinies depend.

            To us, as to Peter, the word is spoken, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.” Luke 22:31, 32. Thank God, we are not left alone. He who “so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16), will not desert us in the battle with the adversary of God and man. “Behold,” He says, “I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19.

(Note: A few years later after the incident, the girl confessed that she was not raped but it was just a frame up in order for them to extract money from Mike’s friends.)

Fragrant With Heaven’s Blessing

     Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. James 3:13, 14.  

     What is lying against the truth? It is claiming to believe the truth while the spirit, the words, the deportment, represent not Christ but Satan. To surmise evil, to be impatient and unforgiving, is lying against the truth, but love, patience, and long forbearance are in accordance with the principles of truth. Truth is ever pure, ever kind, breathing a heavenly fragrance unmingled with selfishness. . . .  

     To be unkind, to denounce others, to give expression to harsh, severe judgments, to entertain evil thoughts, is not the result of that wisdom which is from above. . . . The language of the Christian must be mild and circumspect, for his holy faith requires him to represent Christ to the world. All those who abide in Christ will manifest the kind, forgiving courtesy that characterized His life. Their works will be works of piety, equity, and purity. They will have the meekness of wisdom, and will exercise the gift of the grace of Jesus.  

     “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, . . . and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:15, 16). This was Christ’s practice. He was often assailed by temptation, but in place of yielding or being provoked, He sang God’s praises. With spiritual songs He stopped the fluent speech of those whom Satan was using to create strife. . . .  

     When those who love God are tempted, let them sing the praises of their Creator rather than speak words of accusing or faultfinding. The Lord will bless those who thus try to make peace. Trust in God. Be careful not to give the enemy any advantage by your unguarded words. Keep looking to Jesus. He is your strength. . . .  

     Be so considerate, so tender, so compassionate, that the atmosphere surrounding you will be fragrant with Heaven’s blessing.  

From That I May Know Him - Page 185

A Time to Close the Mind

     Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. James 4:11.  

     If Satan can employ professed believers to act as accusers of the brethren, he is greatly pleased, for those who do this are just as truly serving him as was Judas when he betrayed Christ, although they may be doing it ignorantly. . . .  

     Floating rumors are frequently the destroyers of unity among brethren. There are some who watch with open mind and ears to catch flying scandal. They gather up little incidents which may be trifling in themselves, but which are repeated and exaggerated until a man is made an offender for a word. Their motto seems to be, “Report, and we will report it.”  

     These talebearers are doing the devil’s work with surprising fidelity, little knowing how offensive their course is to God. If they would spend half the energy and zeal that is given to this unholy work in examining their own hearts, they would find so much to do to cleanse their souls from impurity that they would have no time or disposition to criticize their brethren, and they would not fall under the power of this temptation.  

     The door of the mind should be closed against, “they say” or “I have heard.” Why should we not, instead of allowing jealousy or evil surmising to come into our hearts, go to our brethren, and, after frankly but kindly setting before them the things we have heard detrimental to their character and influence, pray with and for them? . . .  

     Let us diligently cultivate the pure principles of the gospel of Christ, the religion, not of self-esteem, but of love, meekness, and lowliness of heart. Then we shall love our brethren and esteem them better than ourselves. Our minds will not dwell on the dark side of their character; we shall not feast on scandal and flying reports. But  “whatsoever things are …of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,” we shall “think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).

From That I May Know Him - Page 184

Sheep and Wolves

     But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matt: 5:44.  

     In these last days, when iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold, God will have a people to glorify His name, and stand as reprovers of unrighteousness. They are to be a “peculiar people,” who will be true to the law of God when the world shall seek to make void its precepts, and when the converting power of God works through His servants, the hosts of darkness will array themselves in bitter and determined opposition. . . .  

     Satan is at enmity with the truth, and he will instigate against its advocates every manner of warfare.  

     We must have our lives so hid with Christ in God that when bitter speeches and scornful words and unkind looks meet us, we shall not permit our feelings to be stirred up against this class, but shall feel the deepest sympathy for them, because they know nothing about the precious Saviour whom we claim to know. We must remember that they are in the service of one who is the bitterest enemy of Jesus Christ, and that while all heaven is opened to the sons and daughters of God, they have no such privilege. You ought to feel that you are the happiest people upon the face of the whole earth. Notwithstanding, as Christ’s representatives, you are as sheep in the midst of wolves, you have One with you who can help you under all circumstances, and you will not be devoured by these wolves if you keep close to Jesus. How careful you should be to represent Jesus in every word and action! You should feel when you arise in the morning, and when you go out upon the street, and when you come in, that Jesus loves you, that He is by your side, and that you must not cherish a thought that will grieve your Saviour. . . .  

     The evil angels may be all around you to press their darkness upon you, but the will of God is greater than their power. And if you do not in word or action, or in any way, make Christ ashamed of you, the sweet blessing and peace of God will be in your heart every day you live.  

From That I May Know Him - Page 183

Look for the Good

     Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Phil. 4:8.  

     We are a part of the great web of humanity. We become changed into the image of that upon which we dwell. Then how important to open our hearts to the things that are true and lovely and of good report. Let into the heart the light of the Sun of Righteousness. Do not cherish one root of bitterness.  

     Christ was infinite in wisdom and yet He thought best to accept Judas, although He knew what were his imperfections of character. John was not perfect; Peter denied his Lord; and yet it was of men like these that the early Christian church was organized. Jesus accepted them that they might learn of Him what constitutes a perfect Christian character. The business of every Christian is to study the character of Christ. . . .  

     Judas alone did not respond to divine enlightenment. . . . He braced his soul to resist the influence of the truth; and while he practiced criticising and condemning others, he neglected his own soul, and cherished and strengthened his natural evil traits of character until he became so hardened that he could sell his Lord for thirty pieces of silver.  

     O let us encourage our souls to look to Jesus! . . .  

     It is not an uncommon thing to see imperfection in those who carry on God’s work. . . . Would it not be more pleasing to God to take an impartial outlook, and see how many souls are serving God and glorifying and honoring Him with their talents of means and intellect? Would it not be better to consider the wonderful, miracle-working power of God in the transformation of poor degraded sinners. . .? The most unfavorable matters . . . should not cause us to feel perplexed and discouraged. Everything that causes us to see the weakness of humanity is in the Lord’s purpose to help us to look to Him, and in no case put our trust in man, or make flesh our arm.  

From That I May Know Him - Page 182

How to Settle Your Troubles

     Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Matt. 8:15.  

     We should carefully consider what is our relation to God and to one another. We are continually sinning against God, but His mercy still follows us; in love He bears with our perversities, our neglect, our ingratitude, our disobedience. He never becomes impatient with us. We insult His mercy, grieve His Holy Spirit, and do Him dishonor before men and angels, and yet His compassions fail not. The thought of God’s long-suffering to us should make us forbearing to one another. How patiently should we bear with the faults and errors of our brethren when we remember how great are our own failings in the sight of God. How can we pray to our heavenly Father, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt. 6:12) if we are . . . exacting in our treatment of others? . . .  

     If you think your brother has injured you, go to him in kindness and love, and you may come to an understanding and to reconciliation. . . . If you succeed in settling the trouble you have gained your brother without exposing his frailties, and the settlement between you has been the covering of a multitude of sins from the observation of others. . . .  

     It takes special watchfulness to keep the affections alive and our hearts in a condition where we shall be sensible of the good that exists in the hearts of others. If we do not watch on this point, Satan will put his jealousy into our souls; he will put his glasses before our eyes, that we may see the actions of our brethren in a distorted light. Instead of looking critically upon our brethren we should turn our eyes within, and be ready to discover the objectionable traits of our own character. As we have a proper realization of our own mistakes and failures, the mistakes of others will sink into insignificance.  

     Satan is an accuser of the brethren. He is on the watch for every error, no matter how small, that he may have something on which to found an accusation. Keep off from Satan’s side.  

From That I May Know Him - Page 181

As We Are Forgiven

     And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matt. 6:12.       It is most difficult, even for those who claim to be followers of Jesus, to forgive as Christ forgives us. The true spirit of forgiveness is so little practiced, and so many interpretations are placed upon Christ’s requirement, that its force and beauty are lost sight of. We have very uncertain views of the great mercy and loving-kindness of God. He is full of compassion and forgiveness, and freely pardons when we truly repent and confess our sins. . . .  

     Peter, when brought to the test, sinned greatly. In denying the Master he had loved and served, he became a cowardly apostate. But his Lord did not cast him off; He freely forgave him. . . . Henceforth, remembering his own weakness and failures, he would be patient with his brethren in their mistakes and errors. Remembering the patient love of Christ toward him, affording him another opportunity to bring forth the fruit of good works, he would be more conciliatory toward erring ones. . . .  

     The Lord requires of us the same treatment toward His followers that we receive of Him. We are to exercise patience, to be kind even though they do not meet our expectations in every particular. . . . The last six commandments specify man’s duty to man. Christ did not say, You may tolerate your neighbor, but, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” . . .  

     The love of Jesus needs to be brought to bear upon our lives. It will have a softening, subduing influence upon our hearts and characters. It will prompt us to forgive our brethren even though they have done us injury. Divine love must flow from our hearts in gentle words and kindly actions to one another. The fruit of these good works will hang as rich clusters upon the vine of character. . . .  

     Rejoicing in Christ as your Saviour, pitiful, compassionate, and touched with the feeling of your infirmities, love and joy will be revealed in your daily life. If you love Him who died to redeem mankind you will love those for whom He died.  

From That I May Know Him - Page 180

Tares Among the Wheat

     Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Matt. 13:30.  

     In this world we shall become hopelessly perplexed (as the devil wants us to be) if we keep looking upon those things that are perplexing, for by dwelling upon them, and talking of them, we become discouraged. . . . We may create an unreal world in our own mind or picture an ideal church, where the temptations of Satan no longer prompt to evil, but perfection exists only in our imagination. The world is a fallen world, and the church is a place represented by a field in which grow tares and wheat. They are to grow together until the harvest. It is not our place to uproot the tares, according to human wisdom, lest under the suggestions of Satan the wheat may be rooted up under the supposition that it is tares. The wisdom that is from above will come to him who is meek and lowly in heart, and that wisdom will not lead him to destroy, but to build up the people of God. . . .  

     None need to err, none need to lose the golden moments of time in their short life history through seeking to weigh the imperfections of professed Christians. Not one of us has time to do this. If we know what is the manner of character Christians should develop, and yet see in others that which is inconsistent with this character, let us determine that we will firmly resist the enemy in his temptations to make us act in an inconsistent way, and say, “I will not make Christ ashamed of me. I will more earnestly study the character of Christ in whom there was no imperfection, no selfishness, no spot, no stain of evil, who lived not to please and glorify Himself, but to glorify God and save fallen humanity. I will not copy the defective characters of these inconsistent Christians; the mistakes that they have made shall not lead me to be like them. I will turn to the precious Saviour, that I may be like Him, follow the instruction of the Word of God, which says, ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus’” (Phil. 2:5).  

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